Graveyard shifts: Barnhart’s eerie lift at Memorial Park Cemetery

Using its 350-ton all-terrain crane, Barnhart crews installed a 60,000-pound mausoleum at a cemetery in Memphis.

Happy Halloween from American Cranes & Transport! Whether it’s an eerie graveyard jobsite or a tower crane silhouetted against a moonlit sky, the crane world offers its own set of thrills. In this spooky Site Report, we highlight two projects that were certifiably ghostly.

Barnhart and Comansa responded to our unique request, submitting bewitching photos from recent jobs.

Mausoleum thriller

Memphis-based Barnhart, known for its expertise in lifting heavy components and equipment at various job sites, recently tackled an unusual project at the Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery in Memphis. The task involved moving a brand-new, custom-made mausoleum from a truck to its designated resting place.

But the project was not without challenges. There were obstacles to consider in the planning. Trees were a major concern on the route in and the lift. The roads within the site were also not designed for the weight that the 350-ton hydraulic crane and trailer transported in. The team had to transfer all counterweight to smaller trucks to accommodate the road’s dimensional and weight constraints.

There were also bridges at the cemetery without any weight ratings, so alternate routes were devised to get the crane and equipment into the site and bypass the bridges.

Two 21LC550 Comansa cranes work on the Harbor Bridge Project in Corpus Christi TX. The project involves replacing the existing bridge with a new a 6.44-mile cable-stay suspension bridge. Photo: Harbor Bridge Project

Once the 350-ton crane was assembled at the site, Barnhart’s team was able to lift and position the 60,000-pound granite structure.

Memphis-based Barnhart undertook an unusual project at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. The task involved moving a new, custom-made mausoleum from a truck to its designated resting place at the cemetery. Barnhart mobilized a 350-ton all-terrain crane and a skilled crew to lift and position the 60,000-pound granite structure.

The mausoleum is for Mark James, a celebrated songwriter, who passed away in June 2024. James was renowned for penning iconic hits like “Suspicious Minds,” famously performed by Elvis Presley, and “Always on My Mind,” a staple for Willie Nelson. “Suspicious Minds” was one of Presley’s biggest hits, reaching No. 1 in 27 countries. James was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.

Ghostly moon

Scores of cranes are working at the Harbor Bridge project in Corpus Christi, TX, including two 21LC550 Comansa tower cranes. The project involves replacing the existing bridge with a new a 6.44-mile cable-stay suspension bridge. This summer, a photo was taken at the jobsite that was eerily lit by crane lights and the full moon.